Anyone ever get hit by a Hummingbird??????

[gixxerific]

I find it unlikely but possible. I am surprised I have never been ran down by one or more for that fact.

As some of you know I have a mass of Hummers around me. You may have seen the pics from last year, more to come.

But these crazy little guy's are DEFINITELY not scared of me. Which is cool. I sit out back very close to one of the feeders. But I can't count the number of times one or more has buzzed past me at a million MPH literally a foot or less off my body. It's pretty cool yet sometimes rather unnerving especially when one fly's by a few inches of your face and your not ready.

[Kisal]

I've had one come up and peer into my face, about an inch from the tip of my nose. It's pretty disconcerting to see that sharp little beak so close to your eyes.

[Marlingardener]

When we sit on our patio watching the hummingbirds at the feeder, one or two will come watch us right back! As Kisal said, they will get right in our faces and stare. They also make a "whoosh" when they fly by at warp speed.
Between the hummingbirds staring and the butterflies landing on us, things are getting a little disconcerting out there!

[applestar]

I once had one whoosh close enough to ruffle my hair as I stood up from a crouching position.. I think it only saw me at the last possible microsecond. I didn't see it at all.

Last year I watched a near mid-air collision between a hummer and a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Hummers can really come to a dead stop mid-flight. It "told off" the slow wafting butterfly by chittering in a circle all around it, then took off -- ZOOM!!

[gixxerific]

Yes Kisal I'm just waiting to pry out that sharp little beak from me one of these day's. I have had them sit and sometimes hover and watch me as well that is cool. I always sit right by the feeder in back and they come around the corner at mach 3 just missing me. Than there are the battles where two or more buzz you that is always interesting.

The other day I was out and one came around the corner right in front of my face, I could feel the breeze. It never stopped just went around my house and back up the other side. To be quite honest I'm not sure it was a hummer (really I know it was) it was going so fast by the time i had time to react and look in the direction it was going there was just a blur disappearing around my house.

[gixxerific]

I once had one whoosh close enough to ruffle my hair as I stood up from a crouching position.. I think it only saw me at the last possible microsecond. I didn't see it at all.

Last year I watched a near mid-air collision between a hummer and a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Hummers can really come to a dead stop mid-flight. It "told off" the slow wafting butterfly by chittering in a circle all around it, then took off -- ZOOM!!

That's great Apple.

Why don't they stop for photos than if they can stop on a dime, huh? I probably saved about 30 or so good pics last year but I probably trashed 150 or more of blurry or just blank pics. Even sitting out there when they are active with the camera trained on the feeder it is hard to get one. They don't stop for long and are gone like the wind. You got to click fast, and my camera has a sec or so delay from when you hit the button before it takes the pic, a sec is way too long.

Marlin I have told this before, but about the butterfly's. I was at work with a dayglow green shirt on like the warning color shirts you see highway workers wearing. A yellow butterfly landed on my shoulder, I thought it was cool so I left it. It stayed there for over and hour and half. Just chilln on my shoulder while I was working. I even gave it a name though i can't remember now.

[applestar]

Get a small feeder and one of those shepherds hook hangers.
Hang up the feeder a step or two closer to where you are sitting. Once the hummers star feeding from that feeder, move the feeder closer to your chair every day. Pretty soon, you'll have them feeding right by your hand.

...OK I admit I haven't tried this myself, but I 've read accounts of other people doing it.

[NorthCoastGardener]

I've had a number of hummingbirds fly up close to my face and hover, its freaky but fun. In Sonoma County the hummingbirds used to fly in and hang out on some of the smaller branches produced by a tree growing inside our arbor area. There were times the hummingbirds were only a foot or two away and if I sat still they weren't aware of me and hung out until the next feeding. On the coast there are less hummingbirds, still trying to build up a good array of blooms they like to feed on in my coastal garden.

[applestar]

Yeah, sometimes I'm relaxing on the hammock and the hummers rest on the plum branches above me.

Most I,ve ever had in my garden are two pairs though, and the four of them were squabbling the entire time.

[gixxerific]

I had dozens last year sometimes 6 or so fighting for the same feeder. It was crazy like a war of birds.

My feeder is only about 8 feet from where i sit. and they seem for the most part content with me being there. Last year I had some tomato cages by my sitting area for a bit and they would hang out on them with me there. I think they are used to me now. I don't threaten them and they don't threaten me so we are all good.

[Rogue11]

We have one feeder hung up in a way that I can watch it from the kitchen. It's always fun to see the little guys buzzing around it or even fighting over it. But the most amusing part comes when I take the feeder in to clean it and refill it. It takes me usually no longer than 10 minutes but while the feeder is gone the humming birds seem confused and start looking for it, even checking the hook it is hanging from. And when I come back with the refilled feeder they are often bold enough to start drinking while I am still hanging it up.

[rainbowgardener]

Yup! They are fearless! I have seen hummingbirds drive away birds four times their size.

I always grow hummingbird attracting flowers on my deck including some vines up the trellis. That means the hummers come right up on the deck with us. They do not mind that we are there as long as we don't move around too much. And they frequently do check us out, do the hovering in front of your face routine. They are curious little guys!

[gixxerific]

OKAY THAN!!!!

That was too close. I was just outside checking a pot of mystery seeds I have on my table out by the feeder. I forgot what I put in this pot. I am intently staring to see if there is any growth when I look up to see two angry hummers chasing each other and coming right at me. I had to move my head to side just as they banked right and buzzed me. I could feel a breeze and it sounded like supersonic jets passing a few inches off of my ear.

That was freaky my, heart is beating a bit faster now.

It's not safe out there anymore.

Almost forgot that earlier I got buzzed by two more chasing each other right in front of my stomach not as freaky as the ones buzzing my ear though.

[applestar]

Ha! I was waiting for you to post something like that.
...was thinking you probably jinxed yourself starting a thread like this.

Glad you are OK.

[pickupguy07]

Yeah, sometimes I'm relaxing on the hammock and the hummers rest on the plum branches above me.

Most I,ve ever had in my garden are two pairs though, and the four of them were squabbling the entire time.

I read somewhere that they will do what you mentioned (showing their dominance). I also read that if you have hummers, it's good if you have two feeding stations. and have then out of sight of each other. That way they don't fight over the same feeder.
I have one of my feeder stations hanging in front of a window. Took me a coathanger and hung it in the lip of the house gutter. SO you can hang it any height you want, and it is always visible from inside the house.